After watching the Mathis Pirates rally in the fourth quarter from a 14-0 deficit to tie the game at 14-all with 7:21 left in the game, the Tigers put together a drive that ended with Dalton Sturm’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Davis Ohrt with 31 seconds remaining that gave Goliad a 21-14 victory.

The win improved the Tigers to 3-1 on the season and sent them into Friday’s District 15-2A, Division I opener against Jourdanton on a winning note.

Goliad opened up its offense Friday night with an effective passing game that resulted in all three of its touchdowns.

Sturm, who completed 13 of 19 passes for 227 yards, found Colby Berger in the flat for a swing pass that resulted in a 43-yard touchdown to put Goliad up 7-0 with 9:55 left in the second quarter.

That score stood until the fourth quarter, which saw both teams combine for 28 points.

The Tigers went up 14-0 when Sturm found Jalen Moore behind two Mathis defenders for a 28-yard touchdown pass with 11:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.

That’s when the Pirates began their comeback.

Anderson Rubio scored on a 13-yard run with 7:21 remaining in the game. The extra-point try was blocked as the Tigers maintained a 14-6 lead.

But minutes later, the Pirates recovered a Goliad fumble to set up Rubio’s 13-yard touchdown run with 3:48 left to pull the Pirates within 14-12.

Mathis went for two points and converted on Rubio’s pass to Oscar Flores to tie the game at 14-all.

Goliad then went on their game-winning touchdown march, which ended when Ohrt caught a pass over the middle on a crossing pattern and dragged a Mathis defender into the end zone for the score with 31 seconds left.

“Their motto is “Never Say Die,’ ” Goliad head coach John Mares said. “They just kept their noses to the grindstone.”

The Tigers enter district play Friday against Jourdanton (2-2) with the only winning record in 15-2A. George West is also 2-2. Luling and Marion are both 1-3 and San Antonio Cole and San Antonio Brooks Academy are both 0-4.

“They were 10-2 last year,” Mares said of Jourdanton. “They are big kids and will pound you.”